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Abstract

Patients in a critical care unit frequently suffer from multiple organ system failure that may be due to several simultaneous pathologic processes. It is not uncommon for a patient who has sustained severe trauma to have been subjected to hypovolemia, crushed tissue, fat embolization and sepsis. These factors may result in the simultaneous appearance of acute renal failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and hepatic dysfunction. Therapeutic maneuvers designed to approach any one of these problems may worsen the others so that proper care depends upon a priority list of treatment programs, all of which may vary from hour to hour